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We're going to be in the Book of Proverbs this morning. School now for at least a month. Tony, you went back even earlier than that. We've come back to the school year that come about. You've got new teachers.
Maybe you've moved from the elementary school to the middle school or from the middle school to the high school or maybe you're changing schools altogether. I don't know, but there are always changes.
We've had a lot of these where I teach. Been on a normal seven-period day schedule now since the dawn of time. And this is the first time this year that we have a rotating schedule. Some of them are block days.
It's challenging to get used to because you get into a habit. You can't do that now. It lasts a week and not just a day. Opportunity and Keith and the other elders were willing that we take a day. It's at the center of a battle for the minds of students.
Education as well as what should be included in the curriculum. Should creationism be taught beside evolution? What types of schools report to parents? Works of literature on the internet where the author of public schools that if every single parent would improve.
This would not happen immediately. Children might get mediocre educations in the meantime, but it will be worth it for the eventual common good. This author wants all students to be sent to public schools regardless of what the parents want.
The author also states that parents who do not send their children to public schools are, quote, bad, end quote. The author indicates that a couple of generations of mediocre education are a small price to pay.
Now I do not think that the author wants children to receive a poor education, but I do not think that he, but not all public school advocates, is in opposition to the philosophy that many parents and some teachers believe should be used to raise and educate.
Schools that might have a philosophy contrary to that of many parents consider the following recent developments regarding the right of parents to raise their children in accordance with their own personal religious beliefs.
The state of California now bans therapy that aims to convince children who claim to be homosexuals to change their orientation. And this law has been upheld as constitutional by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
According to the article, the court said, California legislators had a legitimate reason to bar therapists and counselors in the state from helping youth resist romantic feelings toward those of the same sex.
The United States constitutes no law or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Yes, we as a nation have long understood that this principle should apply to state legislatures as well as the United States Congress. It has decided that the rights of parents to pass on their religious beliefs to their children and to counsel their children to live in a manner consistent with their religious beliefs, their children having the right to live in a manner which the Bible in Romans 1 .26 calls unnatural.
Some people are convinced that religion has no place in education. Consider the following comment. A reader posted on a website in response to a letter to the editor about the article that I already quoted above indicating that all parents should send their kids to public school.
Religious education, home plus church on Sunday is four. In other words, according to this person, parents should be teaching their children religion at home and at church while religious training has no place in the school.
And many people agree with this view. The person is partially correct. Parents should be providing religious training for their children at home, children being educated according to philosophies with which they disagree.
...should be limited to the three R's, reading, writing, and arithmetic. ...education is not really about the three R's, as so many try to claim and want to believe in our text. ...education system that is opposed to their beliefs.
...society when it comes to religion, of this there is no doubt. With families coming from a wide variety of backgrounds, these families are going to be opposed to a system of education for their children that is openly opposed to their system of thought.
Therefore, to serve people from a variety of religious backgrounds, elements of an educational system are going to be removed in order to accommodate this variety of belief systems. ...to the following quote.
...tendency is to hold that this system must be altogether secular. ...doctrine is gaining currency even among professed Christians and even among some bewildered Christian ministers ...that an education provided by the common government should be entirely emptied of all religious character.
...the Protestants object to the government schools being used for the purpose of inculcating the doctrines of the Catholic Church. ...and Romanists object to the use of Protestant versions of the Bible and to the inculcation of peculiar doctrines.
...the Jews protest against the schools being used to inculcate Christianity in any form, ...and the atheists and agnostics protest against any teaching that implies the existence and moral government of God.
...it is capable of exact demonstration that if every part in the state has the right of excluding from the public schools ...whatever he does not believe to be true, then he that believes most must give way to him that believes least.
...then he that believes least must give way to him that believes absolutely nothing. ...how small a minority the atheists or the agnostics may be. ...this scheme, if it is consistently and persistently carried out in all parts of the country, ...the United States system of national popular education will be the most efficient and wide instrument for the propagation of atheism which the world has ever seen.
...do you think he was prophetic? ...atheistic. ...where any reference to God is challenged from singing Christmas under God in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. ...so what are parents up against?
...consider the following quick math. ...a typical school day is about 8 hours. ...totals about 40 hours a week. ...compare this to the amount... ...with you. ...mornings are most often spent getting ready for school so there is little interaction between parents and children Monday through Friday before school.
...in the evening parents often get home from work about 6... ...averaged by about 9 p .m. again... ...then parents have only about 3 hours with their children. ...and this 3 hours per evening is reduced...
...in training their kids... ...weekly Sundays... ...anytime you and your family are in church... ...and you do get a couple of hours instruction during the week... ...then at most your children are probably going to receive 4 to 5 hours of training each week.
...how can families compete with an alternative system... ...when the alternative system has 8 times the amount of time with your children per week? ...to the man-centered education methods that are...
...to be in a school that strives to teach high standards... ...and believes in holding students accountable for their learning... ...the truth is there are individual teachers and administrators in the public school system...
...who do not subscribe to man-centered learning rather than God-centered learning. Right, Tony? ...and people do exist. My sisters and I all attended public schools while growing up in central Illinois.
Granted that public schools then are not the same as those today... ...but the truth is I had some very good teachers... ...in education. In fact, many of these teachers I would consider to be role models... ...for the kind of teacher I want to be for my students.
Although I attended a public school, I cannot recall one instance... ...in which any of my teachers recommended that I not attend church... ...or that I be disrespectful to my parents. ...and Christian that need to improve regarding the quality and manner of education... ...a child can receive at that school.
The truth is there are parents who homeschool... ...who need to improve regarding the quality and manner of education... ...that their children are receiving. I do not think there is a one-size-fits-all approach to education.
...unique individuals. When you think about those of you who are parents and you have more kids than one... ...they have differences. Some as a surprise to learn that students do learn in a variety of ways... ...and at different paces.
So please understand, I am not going to tell you which method to use... ...to educate your children. ...for homeschooling... ...going to advocate that parents become educated about the system of education... ...they are using to educate their children... ...and how that system lines up with God's Word.
I think that regardless of which setting you use... ...you will find there is need for improvement in order to line up more closely with God's Word. Regardless of the differences in students... ...the truth is that God knows the human heart better than we do.
He knows our heart better than we know our own heart. Therefore, it is to His Word that we should turn... ...in order to study and examine how best to educate students... ...teachers... ...and how education is to be done.
...that we are going to address this morning is... ...why even educate... ...and why... ...competing philosophies... ...need to understand their responsibility to learn about the philosophy under which... ...they are agreeing to educate.
So why educate our children? Why should we educate our children? What should be the goal we should have for our students? I think our text here in Proverbs 4... ...provides us with some wonderful insight into this question... ...into the text.
And as we usually do, I would ask that you stand... ...hear, O sons, the instruction of a father... ...and give attention that you may gain understanding... ...for I give you sound teaching... ...do not abandon my instruction... ...the son to my father... ...tender and the only son in the sight of my mother... ...then he taught me and said to me... ...let your heart hold fast my words... ...keep my commandments and live... ...acquire wisdom... ...acquire understanding... ...do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth... ...do not forsake her...
...and she will guard you... ...love her... ...and she will watch over you... ...the beginning of wisdom is... ...if you embrace her... ...once again to gather together and to open... ...and to learn... ...see, give us ears to hear...
...and I pray, Father, that you would enable me to speak only truth... ...it's in the name of Jesus we pray... ...begins with the command to children... ...in verse 1... ...hear, O sons, the instruction of a father...
...this is not just the act of hearing... ...but hearing here includes understanding... ...which means obedience... ...our children are not simply to listen... ...to what we tell them... ...just for the sake of them being able to claim...
...Mom, I heard you... ...Dad, I heard you... ...have the goal of learning... ...from what we as their parents tell them... ...we should teach them lessons... ...both positive and negative... ...that we have learned...
...our children should be intentional about learning... ...note the text says... ...and give attention... ...this command is to children... ...to hear and give attention to their parents... ...parents should not have to instruct children to pay attention...
...children should be doing this on their own... ...because God's word instructs that it be so... ...we do not want to change God's instruction to us as their parents... ...or to them as our children...
...and just as children are to listen and give attention to their parents... ...so they should also listen and give attention to their teachers... ...should want to be trained... ...that you may gain understanding...
...is what the text says... ...here is one of the themes of today's message... ...education is about gaining understanding... ...education is not about the three R's... ...as you know from your own life experience... ...the three R's are tools... ...and tools are used to accomplish tasks... ...should be teaching our children how to use the three R's... ...in order to accomplish tasks and achieve goals... ...our students should see in us that we actually want them to be useful... ...contributing members of society... ...therefore it is in their best interest to listen and give attention... ...to begin... ...for I give you sound teaching says the text... ...the word for denotes purpose... ...it is another way of saying you should do this because... ...you see students should listen to their parents and teachers... ...and give attention to them... ...because we strive to give them sound teaching... ...to teach them truth because we want them to know truth... ...nothing is gained by lying to our students... ...not to mention the fact that it's unbiblical... ...should see in their parents and teachers the reality... ...that we want them to know truth... ...we want them to be able to discern truth from error... ...we want our students to desire to know truth... ...to seek after truth... ...and to cherish truth... ...if we are teaching them truth... ...if we are teaching them sound teaching... ...then we want them to abide by this instruction... ...live by this instruction... ...and not to abandon our instruction...
...we want our students to live according to truth... ...and not be carried away by the ever-changing whims of false teaching... ...our children begin... ...and the only child on the side of my mother... ...then he taught me and said to me...
...let your heart hold fast my words... ...keep my commandments... ...training begins when the child is young... ...where did it come from? ...it comes from that depraved heart... ...note the Solomon should be so meaningful that they hold them fast...
...in other words they do not cease to abide by what we teach them... ...they should recognize that in our instructions... ...live by and enjoy a fruitful life... ...the next phrase drives this point home...
...keep my commandments and live... ...says the text... ...to keep the commandments is to obey them continuously... ...to keep the commandments and live is to live your life consistent with the commandments...
...keeping God's commandments will often times keep us out of trouble... ...keeping his commandments will keep us from bad habits... ...and activities that will cause damage to ourselves... ...and our families... ...should be teaching our children God's commandments...
...we should be teaching them to live according to God's word... ...in turn our children... ...our students should recognize the value of these truths and live by them... ...consider Proverbs chapter 7...
...just a couple pages to the right... ...verses 1 through 3... ...the text says... ...my son keep my words... ...treasure my commandments within you... ...keep my commandments and live... ...and my teaching is the apple of your eye...
...bind them on your fingers... ...write them on the tablet of your heart... ...note the instruction of a parent to his child... ...keep my words, treasure my commandments... ...keep my commandments and live...
...keep my teaching is the apple of your eye... ...bind them on your fingers, write them on your heart... ...the student has the responsibility to follow sound teaching... just as the parent or teacher has the responsibility to provide sound teaching.
Sound teaching so much that we strive to pass it on to our children. Our children should desire sound teaching so much that acquiring it becomes the focus. In verse 5, Acquire understanding says that to not abandon his father's instruction, hold fast his father's words, and keep his father's commandments and live.
The student is acquire wisdom. A dictionary includes the following definition of wisdom. Knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action, sagacity, discernment, or insight. Wisdom is more than just knowing facts.
Wisdom is using facts to arrive at sound decisions and using facts in order to live a godly life. The student is then commanded to acquire understanding. It is comprehension. It is personal interpretation.
It is intellectual faculties, intelligence, and mind. Superior power of discernment. Enlightened intelligence. Knowledge of or familiarity with a particular thing. Skill in dealing with or handling something.
You see, notice that understanding is more than just having facts or knowing a procedure. Understanding is using these facts with skill, discernment. Acquire wisdom and understanding. To be cherished and sought after.
Consider Proverbs 16 .16 which says, How much better it is to get wisdom than gold, and to get understanding is to be chosen above silver. The world values gold. How many empty lives have been lived in pursuit of gold and silver?
The Bible says that wisdom is better than gold, and that understanding is better than silver. What God commands us to seek is more valuable than what the world says. ...teachers are to pass on. ...teaching to them is to be filled.
...do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. The mouths of parents and teachers should be filled with wisdom and understanding. This is what children and students are being commanded to seek after.
Children and students are being commanded to not turn away from the words spoken by parents and teachers. Therefore, we cannot help but conclude that our words to our children and students are to be filled with wisdom and understanding.
Is this what your children hear from you, from their teachers? Children hear words that are worthy of being kept. ...are more valuable than gold. ...are not to turn away from our words. They are not to forget our words.
...held in such power. Are we teaching them wisdom? Are we teaching them understanding? ...she will guard you. Love her, and she will wash over you. ...are commanded to not pursue. It's a love wisdom.
To love something means more than emotions. It means action. And that action here is continuously. Both of these commands are commanded by God Himself. Deuteronomy chapter 30 tells Israel the following before they begin to go into the promised land.
And remember, Moses was not going to get to go. Moses has disobeyed God. ...do with him striking a rock. But Moses told the people,. ...tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you.
He will not fail you to lead them into the promised land. ...tells the people, No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. I will not fail you or forsake you.
God, speaking through Joshua. And Joshua communicating that to the people. God will not forsake His own. ...that God loves His own. ...verse 8, that God demonstrates His own love toward us. And that while we were yet sinners.
John chapter 4 and verse 10. And this is love. Not that we loved God. But that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. You see, in both of these last two verses, God's love as a couple demonstrated His love.
In 1 John 4, 10, we read that He sent His Son. God's love cannot be overemphasized. Are we reading God's word? Are we meditating on God's word? Are we praying to God? Are we engaging in quality conversations with fellow believers?
Are we doing those things? Do we love wisdom? Do we demonstrate for our children? ...and deeds to do those things. ...a great day to begin. Love her. And she will watch. ...understanding will keep us from making many mistakes.
...give us the ability to discern. Understanding can protect us from acting in error. Go back and look at these first six verses. God has given us regarding seeking instruction. ...below or replace it with the word wisdom or understanding in your own mind.
Give attention. Do not abandon your father's instructions. Let your heart hold fast to your father's words. Keep your father's... ...acquire understanding. Do not forget your father's words. Do not turn away from your father's words.
Do not forsake your father's words. Love your father's words. So far in these first six verses, we read no less than 11 commands. I don't have enough fingers for that. Regarding children seeking the instruction of their parents.
...understanding. And now look at verse 7. The text says, ...the beginning of wisdom... ...get understanding. Once again, we see these two jewels paired together. Wisdom and understanding. The King James Version translates verse 7 a little differently.
It says, ...wisdom is the principal thing. And with all thy getting, get understanding. ...upon getting wisdom. It is the principal thing. It is the primary thing. It is the treasured thing. Remember Proverbs 16, 16.
Wisdom is to be treasured above gold. And understanding above silver. Understanding multiple times. We see this in Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 5 and verse 1. My son, give attention to my wisdom. Incline your ear to my understanding.
Proverbs 22, 17. Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise. And apply your mind to my knowledge. Understanding are to be prioritized by God. Two times. ...of her text. And she will exalt you. If you embrace her.
Being obedient to God and his word. She will exalt you. She will honor you if you embrace her. Recall verse 6. Where it says, Do not forsake her. And she will guard her. Guard you. Love her. And she will watch over you.
Wisdom and understanding will exalt you. Honor you. Guard you. And watch over you. Think back on your own lives. There is someone in your past considered wise. We like those people, don't we? We recognize wise people that you think are wise.
The impact that they have upon you. Wise people to impact. Wise so that they can impact the lives of others. Wise people that our children encounter. Could not teachers also be wise? A garland and a crown denote honor.
Before we provide an answer to the question, Why educate? Let us think for a moment about true wisdom. True wisdom cannot work with Jesus Christ. We do not read anything in our passage here about salvation.
Salvation is the logical and natural result. One who is wise recognizes his limits. One who is wise says that he cannot render himself righteous and is therefore in need of the Savior. One who is wise will study God's Word for in it he will recognize true wisdom.
That we read of the Word and become wise. We want our children to gain understanding. True wisdom and true understanding lead to Jesus Christ. And the most simple things that cause us to think the most.
Father, please place within our hearts a desire to learn. To seek understanding. And Father, I pray for each of the children here who are in school. And I pray Lord that you would give them a heart that desires to know.
Proceeds from you. Understanding proceeds from you. And I pray that these students would have a desire to gain it. Indeed need your wisdom to train our children. To teach. To give them your understanding.
So you see them. So they might realize obedience. To love and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that we pray.